Pattern control for knitting machines



'May29,1951 w. Wm 2,555,140

PATTERN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 50, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet1 y- 9 195 W.LARK1N Y 2,555,140

PATTERN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES,

Filed June so, 1949' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIWM May 29, 1951 w. LARKINPATTERN CONTROL FIR KNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 30,1949 May 29, 1951 f I w, LARmN 2,555,140

PATTERN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed June 30, 1949 Sheets-Sheet 4/9 9 W F76. 2g

Patented May 29, 1951 PATTERN CONTROL FOR KNITTING MACHINES WalterLarkin,

Norristown,

Pa., assignor to Fidelity Machine Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application June 30, 1949, Serial No.102,396

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in multidesign rib knittingmachines of the character disclosed in United States Patent No.2,051,724.

One object of the invention is to materially increase the permissibleoperating speed of the machine with resulting improved productioncharacteristics.

Another object, contributing to the improved production characteristics,is to materially improve the precision with which the machine operates,particularly in those parts which control the operation of the mechanismproducing the vertical stripes.

Still another object is to materially increase the flexibility andversatility of the machine in the formation of the interknit ornamentaldesigns which the machine is capable of producing.

A still further object is to increase the capacity of the controlmechanism so that the machine may be set for a plurality of differentselective designs.

The invention contemplates also provision of a control mechanism ofsimplified and generally improved character as hereinafter described andillustrated in the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a knitting machinehaving control mechanism made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a detail of the controlmechanism;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4, Fi 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing another detail of theimproved control mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-8, Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing still another detailof the control mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a still furthermechanical detail;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the needle wrappingmechanism of the machine and of the associated control elements;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line ill-Ill, Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a face view of a fragment of knitted fabric illustrating thenature of the designs that may be produced on the machine.

With certain exceptions, hereinafter described, the machine shown in thedrawings is essentially the same as that disclosed in the aforesaidUnited States Patent No. 2,051,724. With reference parmachine isindicated by the reference numeral I; 2 is the cylinder cam platemounted for rotation in a circular opening in the bed plate; and 3 isthe conventional split cylinder cam ring attached to the cam plate 2. Abase ring 4, mounted on the base 5, supports the plate 2 and hasattached thereto the cylinder supporting ring 6. The stationary needlecylinder I is attached to and extends upwardly from the ring 6, saidcylinder receiving the cylinder needles 8 in co'n ventional manner.These needles are actuated by the rotary cam 9 within the ring 3.

Dial plate I I, attached to the lower end of stationary dial post I2,receives the dial needles 13 in conventional manner, these needles beingactuated by dial cam [4 on the rotary dial cam plate [5. The plate [5 issecured to the lower end of tubular shaft It, said shaft depending froma bevel gear I! attached to upper end of the shaft and journaled in thestationary superstructure [8.

A hollow stationary column l9, connected at its upper end to thesuperstructure I8, has attached to its lower end a cylindrical needlewrapping finger carrier 2!. As shown in Fig. 4, this carrier is providedwith a circumferential series of narrow radial slots 22 the function ofwhich will be hereinafter set forth. Threaded onto the upper end of thecarrier and embracing the upper ends of the slots 22 is a flange ring23, and this ring finds a seat in a rotary ring 24 which is supported onthe upper ends of a plurality of posts 25 the lower ends of which aresecured in the cam plate 2. The carrier 2i, though stationary, is thussupported on the rotary plate 2, and in turn supports the column l9 and,through the column, the superstructure it. As previously set forth thepost l2 depends from the fixed superstructure.

The upper portions of the slots 22 are occupied by jacks 28, said jacksbeing held in place by a coiled spring 29 which embraces the carrier andseats in registering recesses 3| in the outer edges of the walls of thesaid slots and. in the upper ends of the jacks. The lower end of each ofthe jacks overlaps the upper end of a needle-wrapping finger 32 mountedin the lower end of the same slot, the said fingers being held in placeby a coiled spring 33 which embraces the cylinder and seats inregistering recesses 34 in the outer edges of the slot walls and in thefingers. Under actuation by the jacks 28 and associated mechanismhereinafter described, the fingers 32 serve in the present instance towrap threads 35 drawn from bobbins 36 around the cylinder needles 8.

thereby to produce plating on the outside walls of the fabric formed byco-action of the said needles 8 with the dial needles I3. The bobbins 36are mounted on platforms 31 secured to the column I9; and the manner inwhich the fingers 32, the lower ends of which are inclined to the radialplanes containing the respectively associated cylinder needles, operatein the wrapping operation is shown in Fig. 10, wherein the lower end ofone of the fingers is indicated by the reference numeral 38 and theupper end of the associated cylinder needle by the reference numeral 39.By reason of its inclination, the finger in its outward movement withrespect to the cylinder is flexed to one side of the needle, and on itsinward movement to the other side.

The manner in which the threads 35 pass to the fingers 32 is indicatedin Fig. 2, wherein the threads after passing through eyelets (not shown)in the platform 37, are guided downwardly inside the ring 23 through theouter end of the jack slots on the carrier 2| and between the jacks andfingers to the lower ends of the latter.

The mechanism for operating the cylinder and dial needle cams isessentially the same as that disclosed in the aforesaid United StatesPatent 2,051,724. As shown in Fig. l, the gear I! meshes with 'a bevelgear 4| on a transverse shaft 42. The outer end of this shaft is hollowand serves as a guide for the foundation thread 43 through which thethread is fed to the cylinder and dial needles. The thread passes fromthe shaft 42 upwardly through an outlet tube 44 on the shaft. From thetube 44 the thread floats over arms 45 at the upper end of thestationary dial post I2 to an extension tube 46 on the upper end of ahollow post 41 which is one of two posts mounted on brackets 48 on thecarrier support ring 24 and secured at their upper ends in a threadcarrier ring 49, said ring 49 being guided between the periphery of acircular top plate on the super structure I8, and a fixed annularstabilizing guide member 52 that is secured to the upper end of astandard 53 on bed plate I. The thread 43 passes downwardly through post41 and from the extended lower end thereof to the main thread guidewhich is secured to the cylinder cam ring 3 by a bracket 54.

The shaft 42 is journaled at the upper end of standard 53 and isconnected through bevelgears 55 and 56 to a verticalshaft 51 whichextends downwardly through the standard 53, the lower end of the shaftcarrying a bevel gear 58. The gear 58 meshes with a bevelgear 59 on'ahorizontal shaft 6|, and this shaft also carries a gear '62 which mesheswith 'a gear '63 on shaft 54. As shown in Fig. 2, the "gear 53 isconnected by screws 55 to a gear element 65 and through this gear '66the shaft 64 is connected, see Fig. 3, to a pinion 61 on the mainoperating shaft 68. To this shaft power is supplied by a pulley B9. Theshaft 68 also carries a bevel pinion 'II which meshes with a rin gear I2on the "cylinder cam erated pattern chain which rides "on *as'proeket f1I8, said sprocket being journaled on a fixed shaft I9 supported in theframe. In accordance with the principle disclosed in the aforesaidpatent, this chain controls the operations of the needle wrappingfingers 32 through the medium in the present instance of a pivoted lever80. The yarn change pattern chain, controlling changes in the yarn 43 isshown at 62, this chain operating on a sprocket 83 fixed to a shaft 84journaled in the frame. A lever 85, pivotally attached to the main frameat 86, carries a roller 81 which engages the chain 82, and the outer endof the lever 85 is connected through a link 88 to the yarn changedevice, indicated generally by the reference numeral 89. Operativelyassociated with the sprocket 83 is a ratchet wheel 9I which is engagedby a pawl 92 mounted on an eccentric pin 93 at the end of the shaft 64.

Insofar as described, the operating mechanism is essentially the same asthat described in the aforesaid patent and forms no part of the presentinvention which is concerned primarily with the method of controllingand actuating the needle wrapping fingers 32. These fingers are actuatedin accordance with the principle disclosed in the aforesaid Patent No.2,051,724, by means of a rotary cam Illl and IE2 carried by the ring 24,the cam IBI being adjustable axially of the carrier 2| and co-actingwith the butts I33 of a longitudinal series on each of the said jacks.The butts are frangible and may be individually removed from the jacksto produce a desired pattern. The movements of the cam IOIlongitudinally of the jacks and axially of the cylinder 2i are providedfor by leaving out of the cylinder 2| three adjoining jacks as indicatedat Fig. 4 to leave a longitudinal space for the longitudinal travel ofthe cam. Rotary movement of the cam after adjustment will result in thecam contacting any of the butts of the jacks lying in its rotary pathwith the result that any of the jacks so contacted will be forcedinwardly to rock the associated fingers 32 and to thereby effect bythose fingers the thread wrapping operation on the cylinder needles 8previously described. The cam I02 is fixed for engagement with thefingers 32 so that the fingers after rocking movement effected by thejacks 28 will be forced inwardly to the normal position shown in Fig. 2.As shown in Fig. 4 the cam Iiil leads the cam I02 and the present actionof these two cams effect the rocking movement of the fingers requiredfor the thread wrapping operation.

The cam IIlI is fixedly mounted in a head I04 which is slidably mountedon two posts I05 and IE6 which are secured into and dependent upon thering 24. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the .post I56 is provided with alongitudinal series of notches I51 and the head I04 carries a pair ofdetents I08 and I09 which are mounted in cylindrical bores III and H2 inthe head and are urged by springs H3 and H4 against the notched side ofthe post. The notches and the detents are relatively spaced so that whenone of the detents engages one of the notches, the'other detent willengage the post at a point half-way between two other adjoining notches,thus the detents are adapted to retain the post releasably in differentpositions spaced apart to the extent of one-half the distance betweenadjoining notches. This distance corresponds -'to the spacing 'of thefrangible butts I63 on the jacks 28, thereby permitting the cam Illlcarried by the head 104, to be indexed selectively with any of thecircumferential rows of butts axially of the carrier H.

The cam I32 being secured to the lower ends of the posts I and I06 isstationary except for the rotary movement with the ring 24.

Carried by the slidinghead I34 is a roller II5 and in operation thisroller is adapted to coact with a guide member H5 which comprises twoelements H1 and H8 best shown in Fig. 5. Spaced apart to an extentcorresponding substantially to the diameter of the roller l5 each of theelements Ill and H8 has an angularly disposed lip H9 and I2Irespectively, at one end which diverge with respect to each other toform a flared mouth. The member H6 is adapted to be positioned in therotary path of the roller II5 as it moves with the ring 24 and the lipsH9 and I2I function as cams to guide the roller into the normal spacebetween the elements, as hereinafter described, and in this process tomove the head I04 by camming action to a position of vertical adjustmenton the rod I06 determined by the position of the guide member H6.

The guide member H6 is supported on the outer end of an arm I22 whichprojects laterally from a member I23. This latter member being slidablysupported on a post I24 extending upwardly from the fixed frame of themachine. Adjustably secured to the member I23 is a rod I25 which carriesan adjustable shoe I26 positioned for operative engagement with a rollerI21 on the outer end of the lever 80, the arrangement being such thatthe position of the lever 8| as controlled by the pattern chain 11controls the vertical position of the rod I25 and therefor of the memberI23 and the guide member H6. The upper end of the rod I25 is threadedand the rod is rigidly secured to a bracket arm I28 on the member I23through the medium of two nuts I29 and I3I which are tightened againstopposite sides of the said arm as illustrated in Fig. l. A bearing blockI33 carried by the stationary post 24 slidably supports the rod I25 invertical alignment therewith. This mode of attachment provides forvertical adjustment of the position of the rod I25 with respect to theslide member I23.

The lower end of the rod I25, see Fig. 7, is provided with alongitudinal series of teeth as indicated at I32 and operatively engagedwith these teeth is a correspondingly toothed dog I34 on the end of arod I35 slidably supported in the frame at I36 at one end thereof and ina depending bearing block I31 at the other. Intermediate its ends therod I35 carries fixedly secured thereto an arm I38 which supports aguide pin I39 in axial alignment with the rod, said pin having slidingengagement in the bearing I31, the arrangement being such that whilemovement of the rod I35 longitudinally is permitted any rotation axiallyis prevented. The end of the rod I35 projecting beyond the bearing blockI31 carries a cam roller I43 Which coacts with a cam I4I on the side of.the'gear 63 as best shown in Fig. 8 and at each revolution of the gear63 the cam I4I contacts the roller I43 and jogs the rod I35 to the leftas viewed in Fig. 2 against the pressure of a spring I42 confinedbetween the frame and a collar I43 on the rod. This movement of the rodI35, carrying with it the dog I34 is suflicient to free the dog from theteeth I32 of the rod I25 to thereby leave this rod free for verticalmovement under actuation of the intermittently operated pattern chain11. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 7 that the dog I34 comprises abody member I44 secured to the end of the rod I35, said body memberhaving mounted therein a pin I45 which is toothed at the side asindicated at I46 for engagement with the teeth I32 of the rod I25. Itwill be noted also by reference to Fig. 2 that the rod I25 is slidablysupported in an arm I41 which extends laterally from the base I andwhichbacks-up the rod I25 against the lateral strain of the spring I42acting through the dog I34.

. In operation the head I04 which carries the cam lIlI rotatescontinuously with the ring 24. The rotation with the ring 24 is timedwith the rotation of the gear 63 so that these two elements rotate atthe same rate. As previously set forth each revolution of the gear 33brings the cam I4I into engagement with the roller I40 to momentarilyrelease the dog I34 from the rod I25. This momentary release issynchronized with the intermittent motion of the pattern chain 11 and inpoint of time is only of such duration as to permit the sprocket 18 tomove a new link beneath the roller BI of the lever 83. Thus, the varyingheight of the chain links as dictated by the pattern design, through themedium of the mechanism previously set forth and described, serve toadjust the vertical position of the guide IIS relative to the head I04and the roller II5 carried thereby. This selective positioning of theguide H5 during a single relative revolution of the head I34 and carrier2|, may occur at any time after the roller II5 leaves the guide IIS andbefore it re-enters again near the completion of the revolution.However, during the interval when the roller H5 is coactive with theguide IIE the sign formation is repeated in successive courses duringthe knitting the guide I16 will be retained in the same position ofelevation for the necessary number of revolutions of the head I04 and issupported immobilized on the posts 55, I56 by the detent I38 or I39, asthe case may be, during the intervals when the dog I34 effects releaseof the rod I25.

Assuming that the guide member I It has been readjusted to a newposition at some point during one revolution of the ring 24 and camIIlI, the roller IE5 will then by reason of the subject contact one oranother of the lips H3 and I2I and by camming action of the lip willforce the head I54 to a new position in which the cam IBI will engageanother circumferential series of butts on the jacks 28. The guide III;is so positioned with respect to the vertical space on the carrier 2!from which the jacks have been removed that the adjustment of the headI04 occurs during the period that the cam IIII is traversing this spaceas that the cam is free to move axially of the latter. It should benoted that this expedient is only made necessary when the design beingworked covers the [I entire stocking top circumferentially. More 7often, however, the plated figuring, i. e., that part of the patterncontrolled by the wrapping fingers 32, is suificiently spaced apart atthe points where the design is repeated as to permit ample space foraxial traverse of the head 04 with respect to the carrier 21. It beingunderstood, of course, that at such points the jacks and associatedfingers would be deleted from the carrier slots 22.

In Fig. 9 the cam I91 is shown in an intermediate position of adjustmentrelative to the jacks 28, the broken line positions 191a and lfllbindicating the extremes of the effective operational range, the numberof possible pattern changes being limited only by the number offrangible butts I03 carried by the individual jacks '28. The neutral orhome position is indicated at 1010.

While it may be desirable to employ a greater number or all of the buttsin working a particular design, for most work it has been found thatcomparatively few, perhaps six or eight, are ample. In the case of thelatter, a plurality of difierent patterns may be set up on the samejacks making it necessary when switching from one run of pattern toanother to merely substitute the corresponding pattern chain. The singlemechanical adjustment necessary would be to simply loosen the nuts [29and I3! on the rod I25 and adjust the head bracket I28 so that the camllll would be made to cooperate with the proper series of butts I03. Inany case the adjustment of the cam would be to a home or neutralposition of the particular series, which would be made by removing acircumferential row of butts between adjacent pattern series.

Fig. 11 illustrates schematically a stocking top made according to thepractice of the invention. Being a ribbed knit fabric, the dial walesare considered as not showing, the fabric presumed to be in a relaxedcondition. Consequently, adjacent cylinder wales carrying the plated orvertical stripes of the design are shown abutting, presenting anunbroken outline circumferentially of the top when utilized in figuringor striping. The reference character P is used to identify the platedportion of the design, all other parts thereof being part of the basefabric which is under control of the striping attachment. This lattercontrol is well described in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,051,724,suflice it to say here that the yarn change mechanism described earlierand indicated at 89 is actuated by the varying height of the componentlinks of the pattern chain 82,

after the manner of the chain 11.

Having set forth and described my invention and the practice of the sameas applicable to designs for stocking tops, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that its use is equally applicable in the productionof any other form of tubular ribbed fabric.

I claim:

1. The combination in a circular rib knitting machine, of a needlecylinder, a needle dial, needles in the cylinder and dial respectively,a cylindrical carrier above the dial, a plurality of.thread-manipulating fingers supported by the carrier in operativerelation to said needles, and

means for selectively actuating said fingers, said means comprising aselector cam support member movable in a circular path around thecarrier, adjustable guide means positioned in the path of said memberfor adjusting the latter to selected positions axially of the carrier,mechanism for adjusting the guide means axially of the carrier, meansnormally operative to lock the guide means in adjusted position, andmeans operating in synchronism with the guide means adjusting mechanismfor momentarily releasing the locking means to permit said adjustments.

2. A knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein the guide meansadjusting mechanism includes a pattern chain operating in synchronismwith the said release means.

3. A knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein the selector camsupporting member is slidably supported upon rods extending axially ofthe finger carrier, one of said rods being toothed to form a rack, andsaid member having a spring pressed detent for engagement with the rack.

4. A knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein the said membercarries a follower element for camming engagement with the guide means.

5. A knitting machine according to claim 4 wherein the said guide meansis in the form of spaced rails having divergent lips to direct the saidfollower element of the selector cam supporting member to the spacebetween the rails.

6. A knitting machine according to claim 5 wherein the said followerelement closely fits the space between the rails.

7. A knitting machine according to claim 1 including a rotary cylindercam plate and means for connecting the selector cam support member tosaid plate for rotation with the latter.

8. A knitting machine according to claim '7 wherein the guide lock meansis operatively connected with the said cam plate for operation insynchronism with the rotary movement of the plate.

'9. A knitting machine according to claim 8 wherein the guide lock meanscomprises a rack movable with the guide means, a spring pressed detentnormally engaging said rack, and means operating in synchronism with thecam plate for intermittently releasing said detent from the rack.

10. A knitting machine according to claim 9 wherein the rack isadjustable with respect to the guide means in a direction parallel tothe axis of the finger carrier.

WALTER LARKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,922,119 Bristow et a1 Aug. 15,1933 2,051,724 Larkin Aug. 18, 1936 2,342,541 Holmes et al Feb. 22, 1944FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 291,196 Great Britain May 31, 1928

